Huffington Post: Marijuana Company Buys Entire California Town

A marijuana company purchased the entire town of Nipton, California, for $5 million this week as part of a new cannabis tourism venture.

Phoenix-based American Green announced that the 120-acre plot will eventually become the “country’s first energy-independent, cannabis-friendly hospitality destination.”

The company plans to keep the existing infrastructure, which includes a hotel and a trading post, and invite other marijuana-friendly businesses to set up shop as it expands.

Nipton made a name for itself in the early 1900s as a gold rush town and a rest stop for the railroad industry. It was put on the market last year after its owner, Gerald Freeman, said he was too old to manage it. Freeman died shortly thereafter, according to NPR. About 20 people currently call Nipton home.

“We are excited to lead the charge for a true ‘Green Rush,’” David Gwyther, president of American Green, said in a press release. “The Cannabis Revolution that’s going on here in the US, has the power to completely revitalize communities in the same way gold did during the 19th century.”